Maria Grant, M.D., FARVO, professor and Eivor and Alston Callahan, M.D., Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, continues to shape the future of retinal disease research through her pioneering contributions to stem cell-based therapies and targeted approaches to vascular repair. This fiscal year marked a significant milestone in her distinguished career as she received multiple institutional and national honors recognizing the impact of her work, including the prestigious Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research.
Grant, an internationally recognized physician-scientist, has built a research portfolio centered on understanding how human embryonic stem cells and targeted gene expression can be used to repair or prevent damage in conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Her innovative investigations into the relationship between the gut microbiome and retinal outcomes are reshaping long-held assumptions about how systemic health influences ocular disease.
Her efforts were recognized at the 2025 Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) annual meeting, where she was honored with the RPB David F. Weeks Award and delivered a featured lecture, “Inside out solutions: using gut-targeted approaches to treat retinal disease.” The lecture highlighted her team’s discoveries about how gut-derived factors affect inflammation, vascular changes, and retinal degeneration, offering new pathways for therapeutic development.
From left: Brian Hofland, Ph.D., President of Research to Prevent Blindness; Maria Grant, M.D., FARVO; and Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology“I am so grateful to Research to Prevent Blindness and to AUPO for this award and am so honored to contribute to their mission of advancing vision science,” Grant said. “My laboratory and I are hopeful that our studies will reduce blindness in individuals with diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. We have been very fortunate to collaborate with dedicated researchers at UAB and at University of Florida to move forward these studies that emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of the gut on retinal outcomes.”
Her work has also drawn praise within the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “Dr. Grant’s groundbreaking research is emblematic of the innovation and excellence we strive for at UAB, particularly in exploring the link between the gut microbiome and vision in individuals with diabetes,” said Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Endowed Chair. “Her contributions continue to elevate our department’s impact on the national stage and inspire the next generation of physician-scientists.”
In addition to national recognition, Grant was honored this spring with a 2025 UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Excellence Award, which celebrates faculty across the institution for achievement in research, teaching, and service. The award highlights her continued commitment not only to advancing scientific knowledge, but also to fostering collaboration, mentorship, and academic excellence.
Grant joined UAB in 2017 from Indiana University, where she served as the Marilyn Glick Professor of Ophthalmology. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency at the University of Florida, followed by research fellowships at both the University of Florida and Johns Hopkins University.
Through her leadership, discovery, and commitment to improving patient outcomes, Grant continues to exemplify the vision of UAB’s mission in ophthalmic research. Her accomplishments this year reflect both the depth of her scientific contributions and the momentum of a research program poised to deliver transformative advances in the years ahead.